UK Tier 2 (Sportsperson) Visa

The Tier 2 Sportsperson visa is part of the Tier 2 Work Permit scheme. It is appropriate for sportspeople and coaches who are internationally established at the highest level of their sport and who wish to come to the UK on a long-term basis. (An applicant who wishes to come for a short period as a sportsperson or coach should apply under the Tier 5 Creative and Sporting category or as a Sports Visitor or as a Visitor Undertaking Permitted Paid Engagements.)

The applicant must be sponsored by the sponsor in the UK which wants them to play for them or coach for them, for example a team or club. In addition, the applicant must have been endorsed by the UK governing body for the sport in question.

Applicants may apply either from the UK or from outside the UK, and will have to satisfy an English language test.

As the immigration rules stand at the moment, a Tier 2 Sportsperson may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after five continuous years.